Shops and shopping - A1 English Vocabulary — Explanation

Practice shops and shopping vocabulary with A1 English exercises, quizzes, and beginner ESL activities for daily English use.

Shops and Shopping Explanation

In this A1 Elementary Vocabulary Lesson you will learn various common types of shops and useful phrases that are used when shopping. Look at the pictures and read the definitions and examples below.

Knowing the names of different shops is a crucial part of everyday English. We go to shops to buy food, clothes, books, toys and lots of other things. In this lesson you'll learn common shop names and useful vocabulary for shopping situations.

Different Types of Shops

1. Supermarket

A supermarket is a big shop where people buy food, drinks, fruit, vegetables and household things.

• My mother buys milk and vegetables at the supermarket.

2. Bakery

A bakery sells bread, cakes, cookies and pastries.

• We bought fresh bread from the bakery.

3. Pharmacy (Chemist’s)

A pharmacy or chemist sells medicine and health products.

• I went to the pharmacy to buy medicine.

4. Clothing Store

A clothing shop sells clothes such as shirts, dresses, jackets and trousers.

• She bought a new dress from the clothing store.

5. Shoe Store

The shoe store sells different types of shoes and boots.

• I need new sports shoes from the shoe store.

6. Bookstore

A bookstore sells books , magazines , and sometimes school supplies .

• He bought an English dictionary at the bookstore.

7. Toy Store

A toy store sells toys, games and fun stuff for children.

• The children wanted to visit the toy store.

8. Hardware Store (DIY Shop)

A hardware store sells tools and stuff to repair or build stuff.

• My father bought a hammer at the hardware store.

9. Electronics Store

Electronics Store: Phones, laptops, headphones, and other electronic devices.

• I bought new headphones from the electronics store.

10. Jewelry Store

A jewelry store sells rings, necklaces, bracelets and watches.

• He bought a necklace for his wife.

11. Flower Shop / Florist

A flower shop or florist sells flowers and plants.

• I bought flowers for my teacher.

12. Pet Store

A pet store sells pets and pet supplies.

• We bought food for our dog at the pet store.

13. Convenience Store

Convenience store: A small shop selling drinks, snacks and daily products.

• I bought a bottle of water at the convenience store.

14. Stationery Store

A stationery store sells pen, notebooks, paper, and school supplies.

• Students buy notebooks at the stationery store.

15. Furniture Store

Tables, chairs, beds and sofas are sold at a furniture store.

• They bought a new sofa for their house.

16. Gift Shop

A gift shop sells presents and souvenirs.

• I bought a birthday gift for my friend.

Helpful Shopping Vocabulary

• shop/store → a place where you buy stuff
• customer → person who buys things
• cashier → someone who receives money
• price → the amount of money that you pay for something
• low-priced → inexpensive
• costs a lot of money → is very expensive
• buy → get something by paying money
• sell → exchange for money
• a cart used in supermarkets shopping cart
• receipt → a paper that shows what you bought

Learning the names of shops will help you talk about everyday life and understand real English conversations. Learn these words and use them when you are shopping.